<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>I'll cheer for you by SuperEllen</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29924274">I'll cheer for you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperEllen/pseuds/SuperEllen'>SuperEllen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Little Giant Week 2021 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Akiteru is a sweetheart even when he's being a jerk, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Internal Struggle, M/M, Mild Angst, Nationals, Supportive characters, Tenma is too cute for his own good, Volleyball, What it means to be the ace, but not exactly in that order, high school years</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:27:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,538</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29924274</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperEllen/pseuds/SuperEllen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Udai struggles with the idea of being Karasuno's ace. But no matter what he thinks of himself, Tsukishima will still be cheering for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tsukishima Akiteru/Udai Tenma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Little Giant Week 2021 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2200650</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Little Giant Week 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'll cheer for you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a ship I love, and I'm glad to finally have found an excuse to write about them. I thought that this fic was going to be about 3 to 5k long, no more than that, but as you can see it got a little out of hand. But I'm still satisfied with the result.<br/>I wrote this for the Little Giant Week on Twitter. The prompts I used for this are: Karasuno, Ace, Win/Loss</p>
<p>For the first time in years, I've had a beta reader for this fic. So I thank <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanaru/pseuds/kanaru">kanaru</a> for reading through this and giving me tips.</p>
<p>I really hope you'll enjoy the story. Any kind of feedback is absolutely appreciated.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cheer of the crowd was exhilarating. He could barely remember the last time he had felt so alive. It was just the first game of the preliminaries to the inter high, but for some reason, it felt as if he'd just won nationals. Which was stupid, because Karasuno still had a long way to go before they could even think about getting to nationals. From what he had heard, they hadn't been on the great stage in a while, but that year they had a very strong team. It only meant one thing: they could do it. They could actually make it all the way to nationals, and maybe even win.</p>
<p>Before he could put together any more coherent thoughts, Tenma felt several arms grab him, trying to hug him. The previous year he had struggled, in the beginning, but now that he was a second-year, everything was going to change. After all that training, after so many efforts, he felt invincible. He was going to be the star of the team. He was going to show everyone that one didn't need to be tall in order to be the ace. So he let his teammates drag him into the celebration, as they all together left the court. Ukai-sensei was standing by the sideline, arms folded against his chest and a smirk curving his lips. He was obviously proud of the result of his training, and Tenma didn't want to disappoint him. He was going to shine and take Karasuno to nationals.</p>
<p>The clapping on backs and mutual compliments went on for longer than what was normal for such a match, but the coach didn't complain. And as long as Ukai-sensei was okay with what they were doing, Tenma felt safe to go along with the celebration. Even the guys on the bench took part in the celebration, once they walked out of the court area and towards the hallway, in order for another team to start warming up for the next match.</p>
<p>As they found a good place to settle, drying their sweat and listening to Ukai-sensei's comments on the match they had played and suggestions for the one they were going to play in the afternoon, some of the other guys on the team approached them with fresh water and snacks. They were the less competitive players, those who were okay with the fact that they hadn't even made the bench during matches, contempt with taking care of those who actually played, almost like a squad of additional managers.</p>
<p>Well, almost all of them. There was one in particular who still hadn't given up on trying to earn a spot. Tenma could see the fire in Tsukishima's eyes, as his senpai handed him a bottle of water. He smiled to thank the other boy, but the third-year gave him a killing glare before moving on without a word.</p>
<p>Tsukishima's behavior made Tenma deflate completely, bringing him to space out and stop listening to the coach. He didn't like the way his senpai looked at him. There was always something negative in Tsukishima's eyes and in his gestures. At times it was envy, sometimes hate, and more than once Tenma had also seen an incredible sadness, a sense of longing. He didn't particularly care about Tsukishima, but at the same time, he didn't want to make an enemy out of him either. The other boy was obviously upset because a younger and shorter kid was getting all the glory. But the beanpole didn't have the slightest idea of what Tenma had been through in order to get to where he was, so he didn't have the right to play the victim either.</p>
<p>"Shrimpster!" Ukai-sensei yelled, using the nickname that Tenma had earned over time; he had started as <i>shrimp</i>, evolving into <i>shrimpy</i> when he'd made the starting lineup, and finally getting to <i>shrimpster</i> after becoming the ace. Being called out so suddenly made Tenma almost jump in surprise and come back to the present. The entire team was looking at him, and the coach looked murderous. "Are you interested in winning, or do you prefer to go home now?" Tenma blushed as he heard those words.</p>
<p>"Sorry, sensei. I won't get distracted again" he mumbled. Some of his teammates chanced a short laugh at his misfortune, making sure that Ukai-sensei didn't notice; none of them, after all, wanted to be scolded as Tenma had just been. As he was going back to giving his full attention to the coach, however, Tenma gave a quick look at Tsukishima first, only to see that his senpai had a satisfied grin on his face. Ass! It left Tenma a little unsettled, but he tried to shake it off. Ukai-sensei was right: they needed to concentrate on winning alone.</p><hr/>
<p>They ended up winning most of their matches, but they lost in the finals in order to qualify for nationals. Their setter injured his finger during the match, and at that point, there wasn't much that they could do in order to recover from there. But he managed to get well enough soon, and the entire team was ready to do their best in order to qualify for the spring tournament. They were definitely going to nationals, and they were going to win it all!</p>
<p>Confident in the ability of his team, Tenma was smiling on the bus ride to Tokyo, where they were going to have a practice match with Nekoma. Nekoma's coach Nekomata-sensei was an old time rival of Ukai-sensei, but he seemed a lot nicer than Karasuno's coach. Ukai-sensei, however, was managing to bring their team pretty far, so maybe being a terrifying general was a good thing when the team really wanted to win. As he looked out of the window during the drive, Tenma kept thinking about the match they were about to play, and what he was going to do in order to make sure they won. Nekoma was a strong team, and they barely ever managed to get the upper hand, but they still ended up losing every time anyway.</p>
<p>He got distracted from his own thoughts when he noticed that some of his teammates were making a little too much noise in the back of the bus. It was a group of third-years. Most of them were regulars on the team, but a couple were benchwarmers as well. And then there was him, the one who didn't make it to the bench. Tsukishima seemed on the warpath all the time, trying to challenge everyone in order to get a spot for himself. And Tenma even thought that he was a good player, but still not enough to make it to the team. He didn't have anything that made him special, he just had good basics and he was a fine spiker, nothing more than that. Karasuno's regulars needed to be <i>more</i> than that. Exactly like Tenma was.</p>
<p>Tenma was the same height as their libero, placing himself as almost the shortest person on the team. But everyone was starting to consider him the ace now, and he loved it. He loved the admiration because it was a good way to repay all the efforts he had made to get to where he was now. When he had joined the volleyball club, at the beginning of his first year, everyone had laughed at his statement that he wanted to be the best spiker in the prefecture. Then, after a special training with Ukai-sensei, he had made it very far. Now nobody laughed at him anymore, they all considered him a great spiker. People were calling him the team ace, just like he wanted. He had even earned a cool nickname: the little giant. It made him consider himself special as if he had something that everyone else didn't, a talent that was only his. Being that good at such a young age was undoubtedly making him too cocky, even risking to make him arrogant. So no, there wasn't a spot on the team for some ordinary player like Tsukishima, when Karasuno had people like Tenma.</p>
<p>Later in the day, when they arrived at Nekoma high school and were preparing for the beginning of the practice match, the third-year spiker Kawada walked to the coach telling him that he wasn't feeling very well. And then, without any warning, he just threw up right there in the gym. A first-year accompanied him to see the nurse, together with a Nekoma first-year who was showing them the way, and the others who never played in matches were ordered to clean up the mess.</p>
<p>That was when Tenma noticed Tsukishima walk to Ukai-sensei with a determined look on his face. For a moment, Tenma thought that he was going to ask the coach to make him play since Kawada was definitely out of the match. Tenma felt an itch on his skin, something that he associated with the foolish desire to see the coach grant his senpai his wish. It was a practice match, after all, so there was a chance for Ukai-sensei to actually put in someone who hadn't even been warming the bench in more than a year. Not that Tenma was interested in seeing Tsukishima play, especially because he thought that he wasn't going to be a good enough addition to win against Nekoma, and he really wanted to win, but there was still a part of him that was feeling sorry for the older boy. He had to admit that a part of him really wanted to have Tsukishima on the court; just to see him smile for once, instead of only receiving those nasty looks from the third-year.</p>
<p>He even walked towards Ukai-sensei, ready to back the other up. He would have said something in order to help Tsukishima if the coach wasn't going to be okay with making him play. But as he moved a couple of steps in that direction, Tenma realized that his senpai wasn't saying anything. He was just staring at the coach, who was staring back in silence. It was a gazing contest, which the young ace didn't understand. He looked from one of them to the other, wondering if they were maybe communicating telepathically, or if Tsukishima was just imagining the entire conversation before trying to have it in the first place. Then, however, the older boy lowered his head and grabbed a mop from another teammate, starting to clean the floor.</p>
<p>Tenma clenched his teeth. Why had he chickened out? It wasn't right! He had been fighting all that time to earn a spot on the team, and now what? The moment he got a serious opportunity to play, he was chickening out like that! Did it mean that Tsukishima was giving up? Not that it made any kind of difference for the team, but Tenma felt incredibly sorry for him. He was a third-year, meaning that the upcoming tournament was his last chance, and he had just given up trying to play even in a practice match. He was never going anywhere like that. Ukai-sensei was probably going to think even less of him after that scene; because he was certain that the coach just <i>knew</i> what Tsukishima had been too much of a coward to ask.</p>
<p>They ended up having a second-year play in Kawada's place, and as irritatingly as always they lost the match. Not by much, but still, it was a loss nonetheless. After the game, they all shook hands with their opponents, and then both teams worked together in order to clean up the gym and put all the equipment away. Tenma was still catching his breath since there were so many of them that at least those who had played the full three sets didn't need to lend a hand. He took a sip of water, and in the meantime, he looked at Tsukishima as the older boy took down the net. He looked even more defeated than usual.</p>
<p>Was there something that Tenma could do in that situation? No, there probably wasn't. But at the same time, he still needed to tell something to his senpai. Because he didn't particularly like Tsukishima, but he had always appreciated the fire in his eyes, even though it was driven by hatred towards Tenma himself, probably for being everything the other boy wasn't. And now he didn't want to see his senpai get down like that. He was never going to get what he wanted if he just gave up like that! How could he complain that things weren't going his way if he stopped trying to change them?</p>
<p>Without even realizing what he was doing, the moment he saw Tsukishima walk towards the storage room to put away the folded net, Tenma found himself running after him. He had no idea of what he was going to say, but he needed to try anyway.</p>
<p>"Hey" he said as he entered the room right behind the other. His presence didn't startle Tsukishima, who had probably heard his running steps pretty well. The tone of his voice was calm, almost colloquial, because he didn't want to be rude, even though he was feeling the need to grab Tsukishima by the shirt and slam him against the wall.</p>
<p>The taller boy turned around after depositing the net; he had his eyes on Tenma's kneepads, instead of looking at his face. "Great game, out there. That spike from the back row at the beginning of the third set was particularly good" Tsukishima said, the tone of his voice completely flat. He definitely wasn't putting any emphasis in his compliments, a sign that he probably didn't mean them. Tenma walked closer, taking a couple more steps in his direction.</p>
<p>"Thanks, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about" Tenma started to say, and at that, he noticed the older boy just turn his head to the side in order to keep avoiding his gaze, as he was getting closer. "Tsukishima-san, have you... given up? I thought you were going to ask Ukai-sensei to let you play today. I was even willing to back you up. Why didn't you?" he inquired.</p>
<p>His words probably hit a little closer to home, because Tsukishima scoffed, visibly bothered by the question. A moment later, however, he just sighed and deflated completely. Tenma definitely didn't like that reaction, because it meant that it was true. He didn't like the third-year, he thought the boy was too rude when talking to him, but he still felt some form of respect towards him.</p>
<p>"I was going to ask him to let me play, but then I thought... what's the point for all that? Does it even matter, if I'm never going to play again anyway? I wasted my high school years, there's nothing else to say" Tsukishima replied, his voice sounding as defeated as he looked in that moment. Tenma felt as if he'd just been hit with a punch in his lungs.</p>
<p>"But you can't know for sure! You can't just give up! How can you know what Ukai-sensei was going to do, anyway? Maybe if you proved yourself in the match today, he was going to make you play in the tournament as well. You never know until you try!" Tenma let out all in one go, talking quickly and raising his voice. He was probably sounding rude, but he didn't care, because the situation was making him mad. Tsukishima was so <i>tall</i>, why was he giving up on playing?</p>
<p>Apparently, his harsh statement wasn't well received, because Tsukishima got angry as well. Tenma could see the fire in his eyes again, almost making him smile. "Do you think I like the idea of watching from a distance while some <i>midget</i> shines like a star?" the third-year spat out, making Tenma lose any desire to smile. That single word, midget, hit him like a slap in the face. Was that really what Tsukishima thought of him? Was he just some midget to his senpai?</p>
<p>He didn't want to lower his guard and look weak, but all of a sudden his eyes were starting to sting, and he felt the need to lower his head. He took a few deep breaths, hoping to calm down. He didn't want to end up crying in front of Tsukishima, he didn't want to show how much being called a midget had offended him. After everything he had done to overcome the obstacle of his height, he hated that people still treated him like that, insulting him because he was short. Especially when it was coming from the guys on his team, who were supposed to be his allies.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that" he heard Tsukishima say. The other boy was suddenly way closer, and a moment later a hand landed delicately in his wild hair, messing it up even more. Slowly, he raised his head to find a shy smile on Tsukishima's face.</p>
<p>"Do you hate me?" Tenma found himself asking, his voice almost sad. He was showing his teammate his best puppy dog eyes, and he wasn't even doing it on purpose.</p>
<p>"Sometimes. But it's not your fault, you're just... I don't know, it seems like it doesn't matter how hard I try, you're always two steps ahead. I've always resented you because I wanted your spot on the court, and maybe I still want it, but I know that you deserve it more than me. You're the ace, after all" Tsukishima informed him. Hearing the other call him the ace, Tenma's heart sped up. He had just been acknowledged by the person who had resented him the most in the entire team. It was a huge success for him.</p>
<p>The hand still entangled in his hair felt warm against his head. For some reason he couldn't explain, Tenma wanted it to stay there. It was helping him feel better because Tsukishima's acknowledgment of his worth was also giving him something to think about. Something that wasn't happy at all, and that he had tried not to think about for a very long time, but apparently it still seemed to find its way back to the front of his mind.</p>
<p>"Everyone says that I'm the ace, but when I stand on the court against an ace that's twice my size sometimes I think that maybe Karasuno deserves someone like that. Even though I've fought so hard to overcome the obstacle of my height. And now I feel stupid saying it out loud. Just forget what I said" Tenma blabbered like a moron, shaking his head. Inadvertently, with his gesture he probably made Tsukishima understand that it was time to remove the hand he still had in Tenma's hair, because that's exactly what the older boy did. For a fraction of a second, Tenma found himself following that hand, looking for that contact once again, but he regained his composure immediately after.</p>
<p>"I think it's normal to compare yourself to others, even if you shouldn't. But don't let it get to you in any way: you're still Karasuno's ace and that's not going to change" Tsukishima stated, his voice firm and sincere. He also had a friendly smile on his face, and Tenma felt overwhelmed by it. He grinned back at him.</p>
<p>"Thank you. Really" he even said, because that was exactly how he was feeling. He was glad that they had been able to have that conversation. Even though, at that point, the situation was starting to become a little awkward. There was silence between them, accompanied only by the voices of their teammates and Nekoma players cleaning the gym.</p>
<p>"We should go back..." Tenma suggested after a few seconds. He was about to start moving first, when Tsukishima spoke.</p>
<p>"Sure. And hey, stop worrying, okay? I'll be cheering for you all the way" the boy said. Tenma felt the immediate need to launch himself at him and hug him, but he didn't. He still managed to contain himself. After all, he wasn't even sure that they could consider themselves as friends, yet. Sure, Tsukishima was probably going to accept him a little more and hate him a lot less from now on, but he still wasn't sure it was enough in order to move completely past the glares full of hatred he had always received from Tsukishima, and that he still wasn't completely sure he wasn't going to receive anymore.</p>
<p>Therefore, he just thanked his teammate once again, before the two of them walked out of the storage room together. There was a smile, however, lingering on Tenma's lips. His senpai didn't hate him as much as he had feared, after all.</p><hr/>
<p>Qualifying for nationals was tough business. That year, Shiratorizawa was once again the strongest opponent in the Miyagi prefecture, so of course everyone thought that they were going to make it to the finals. Karasuno, however, was on the same block as them, meaning that they were only going to advance to the finals if they managed to beat Shiratorizawa first, along with everyone else. Which was easier said than done, for sure. There were other pretty good teams, but Karasuno was determined. And Tenma had accepted his role as the ace, meaning that he was ready and glad to be guiding his team to victory. He was going to show everyone what Karasuno was made of. Nobody was going to make fun of the team with the short ace. He was going to become a true <i>little giant</i>.</p>
<p>They managed to win game after game. It was difficult, more than once Tenma even thought that they were going to lose. But they defeated all the opponents. Karasuno had quite a cheer section, now that they were considered a powerhouse, so he could hear people call the names of the players as they cheered from the bleachers. There, among the rest of the audience, were also those members of the team that didn't make the bench, as always. They were the ones who were cheering the loudest, but among them, there was a voice that Tenma could always recognize. A voice that gave him strength to be his best self on the court, especially when he heard that person calling his name.</p>
<p>He liked that new understanding he had with Tsukishima. After that talk in the storage room at Nekoma high school, things had gotten a lot better between them. His senpai was definitely nicer to him, for once, and that of course was on the plus side. In addition to that, they were finding themselves spending more and more time talking, both during practice and after. Before the semifinal game against Shiratorizawa, Tenma was both excited and terrified to death, and Tsukishima was the one who managed to calm him down, making him feel better. It was only fitting, then, that after the match was over Tsukishima was also the only one Tenma wanted to celebrate the victory with.</p>
<p>All the team was huddled together in the middle of the court, screaming and jumping. Because since they had managed to defeat the strongest opponent in the prefecture, whoever they ended up meeting in the final was going to be easier than that, for sure. The teammates who were cheering from the stands immediately ran to join the others, but Tenma only realized that when he felt two long arms wrap around his waist, and his feet leave the floor. He was laughing, exhilarated by the adrenaline that victory had provided, and now his back was pressed against the chest of the person who was holding him up from the floor.</p>
<p>"You were great!" a familiar voice said from behind, probably too close to his ear. Then, a moment later, he was put back down on the floor. The arms around his waist were still there though, but Tenma didn't care, because he knew who they belonged to. That was the reason why he turned around in that embrace and jumped, wrapping both arms around Tsukishima's neck and both legs around the other boy's waist.</p>
<p>"We did it! We defeated Shiratorizawa!" Tenma yelled, probably risking to make his teammate go deaf. The other replied with a smile full of joy and admiration that made Tenma's heart skip a beat. He ignored the sensation though, and after the two of them had hugged hard enough for a couple more seconds, Tenma let go of the other and put both feet back on the floor. He reciprocated the smile, showing how incredibly happy he was, before he turned around towards the rest of the team and jumped on the back of the captain, almost making him fall on top of the libero. It was a moment of celebration, after all, and Tenma wanted to share it with the entire team.</p>
<p>On the way back from the arena, as they were all sitting on the bus, the players were tired but still too excited to actually rest. They were acting as if they had won the finals, because in a way it was as if they had. All of them spent the entire drive back to school commenting on the best plays that each of them had made. They even laughed together remembering how much Shiratorizawa's coach had looked ready to kill Ukai-sensei, and how their coach had seemed to be amused by that.</p>
<p>When they arrived back at Karasuno, they had a meeting regarding the match of the day, and of course the match they were going to play the following day. Tenma felt like they didn't need anything, so inebriated they were after winning against Shiratorizawa, but Ukai-sensei still managed to calm them all down. Even if they had defeated the strongest opponent in the prefecture, they couldn't underestimate the one they still had to face, if they didn't want to end up losing. Tenma had to admit that the coach's words were of great help, because soon after everyone was focused again.</p>
<p>The following day arrived quickly, bringing along the finals. For some reason, Tenma was more nervous than he had been before the match against Shiratorizawa. It was Karasuno's last match in the prefecture, meaning that the arena was full. Everyone was going to be watching. And Tenma knew all too well that all eyes were going to be on him, the short ace of Karasuno. He needed to prove to everyone how good of a player he was, that he deserved to be called the ace. Too many people, after all, still had doubts about his abilities because of his height.</p>
<p>He was lost in those thoughts as he walked out of the bus with the rest of the team. Everyone else followed Ukai-sensei inside, but not him. He just slowly dragged his feet on the concrete of the parking lot, trying to clear his mind and failing, until he felt a hand land on his right shoulder. He stopped, only then realizing that Tsukishima was standing right in front of him.</p>
<p>"You don't need to be nervous. Everything is going to be fine" the older boy said, making Tenma want to hug him. But he knew that he couldn't do it, it wasn't appropriate. A celebratory hug at the end of an exciting game was one thing, but a sentimental hug in the parking lot was something else entirely. </p>
<p>"Will you cheer for me?" he asked instead, trying to look more confident than he actually was.</p>
<p>"Of course!" Tsukishima immediately replied, putting his other hand on Tenma's other shoulder as well. "You're the star of Karasuno, Udai-kun. Now go in there and shine!"</p>
<p>The encouragement felt almost moving, to the point that Tenma couldn't stop himself from staring at his senpai with admiration. And maybe his heart was beating a little faster than normal, but he could blame it on the fact that he was about to play one of the most important games of his high school career. It definitely wasn't because Tsukishima was looking at him like that, as if he was incredibly valuable. The other boy's words, however, still gave him the strength to say something he probably should have kept for himself.</p>
<p>"Would you like to... celebrate together, after today's victory?" he asked. He wasn't even exactly sure of what he meant to say in the first place. He was thinking about celebrating with the whole team, of course, but he had to admit that the idea of the two of them alone wasn't bad either; the most appealing out of the two, actually. He guessed that he would have been okay with whatever interpretation Tsukishima decided to give to his words. As he thought so, he felt his own face blush.</p>
<p>"Of course. But you have to deserve it. I only celebrate with people who score the winning point" Tsukishima replied to his offer. The grin on his face meant that he was joking, so Tenma felt immediately better. He pouted though, making the older boy laugh.</p>
<p>Tsukishima let go of a very theatrical sigh. "I'll come looking for you after the match. Now hurry up inside though, before Ukai-sensei decides to bench you out of spite and we lose the match" he said, raising a hand to mess up Tenma's hair. Tenma closed his eyes and enjoyed the gesture for a moment, before reopening them and showing his most determined look. His senpai retreated his hand, and Tenma took a couple of steps back, outstretching an arm in front of him to give the other a thumbs up.</p>
<p>"Watch me, Tsukishima-san. I'll show everyone what it means to be the ace!" Tenma stated, and after that, he turned around and ran inside the arena. He was more confident than ever, sure that he was going to help Karasuno win the match. There was a part of him, however, that was even more excited. It was the part that wanted to show off in front of Tsukishima, to make his senpai see how great he could be when he really put everything he had into the game. He wanted Tsukishima to admire him, even if he didn't really understand how or why. But it didn't matter. All that he cared about was that the third-year was going to watch him play, cheering for him. That was enough to get Tenma completely fired up, ready to play the best game of his life.</p>
<p>And he did. He really did. At the beginning of the match, he looked for Tsukishima among the Karasuno cheering squad, feeling a huge smile try to come out the moment he identified where the other was. After the game started, however, he didn't look in that direction again, in order to avoid getting distracted. He knew that his senpai was there, after all. That was the reason why he probably played the best game of his life. He shone from the beginning to the end, scoring more than anyone else on the team. The last play of the match ended when Tenma spiked against the hand of a blocker, aiming to send the ball out. Two of the opponents ran to get the ball, but it was too late. It hit the floor, followed by the whistle that signaled the end of the match.</p>
<p>Before Tenma could even realize what was happening, the game was over. He started shaking the moment realization hit him. They had just won the final match, meaning that Karasuno was going to nationals. They had finally done it. All his efforts, all his training, had been for something. Suddenly overwhelmed and exhausted, Tenma fell on his knees in the middle of the court. The rest of the team ran to him, everyone trying to hug him. They all ended up in a huge mess of limbs on the floor, with Tenma almost suffocating under his overly excited teammates.</p>
<p>There was only one thought, however, that came to his mind as he was trying to breathe under the weight of his team: Tsukishima had promised him to celebrate together. He was expecting the older boy to appear any moment, pull him out from under the others and hug him. He wanted his senpai to tell him how proud he was. He was contemplating the idea of telling the other that he wanted to dedicate the victory to him, wondering if maybe it was too cheesy after all, when he realized that the other teammates who were part of the cheering squad had joined the boys climbing onto each other and hugging on the floor. It meant that Tsukishima was waiting for him.</p>
<p>With difficulty, Tenma fought his way out of the group, finally able to breathe as he managed to crawl away from under his teammates. As soon as he was able to stand up, however, he looked around, searching for Tsukishima. He was incredibly disappointed to notice that the other wasn't there. Why? He had promised Tenma that they were going to celebrate together! But maybe he had a perfectly reasonable explanation, so Tenma didn't get too down. He just wriggled away from one of the guys who wanted to bring him back into the group hug and ran away from the court, into the hallways, looking for Tsukishima.</p>
<p>What was he even going to do, once he saw the other boy? He hadn't thought of that. But the adrenaline from the victory, along with the fact that he was running and his desire to see Tsukishima, was giving him strange ideas. For a silly moment, he even considered the idea of jumping into Tsukishima's arms and kissing him. Which was stupid and definitely not what he wanted to do. Or was it? No, no, it wasn't.</p>
<p>After running up and down the hallways for a few minutes, Tenma was starting to get discouraged. Was it possible that Tsukishima had actually disappeared? He felt his eyes sting at the thought, but he immediately chased it away as he reached the bleachers where Karasuno's cheer squad had stood to watch the game. And there, sitting on the floor with his back against the railings and hugging his knees, was Tsukishima. Tenma's heart fell somewhere around his knees at that sight, all the excitement he was feeling dying in an instant.</p>
<p>"Tsukishima-san?" he tried to call gently, as he moved careful steps towards his teammate.</p>
<p>"Go away" Tsukishima replied. He had his face hidden against his knees, and he didn't raise it to say those words.</p>
<p>"Are you okay? Why are you up here all by yourself?" Tenma tried again, now getting definitely worried.</p>
<p>"Leave me alone" Karasuno's third-year stated in reply, his voice full of spite. Tenma really couldn't understand what might have happened. That was the reason why he walked the short distance he needed in order to reach the other boy, before crouching in front of him and reaching for one of his shoulders.</p>
<p>"Talk to me, please. What's wrong?" he inquired, hoping this time to receive an actual reply. At those words, Tsukishima raised his head. Tenma felt as if he'd just been punched in the stomach noticing that the other was crying.</p>
<p>"I don't want to talk to you. Not now, not ever. Go away, midget!" Tsukishima almost yelled. His words were accompanied by a gesture that left Tenma even more confused. The older boy, in fact, shoved him away, making him fall on his ass.</p>
<p>Tenma couldn't think of a possible reason for Tsukishima to act like that towards him, all of a sudden. They were finally becoming friends, or at least he had thought so. The other boy had promised him that they were going to celebrate Karasuno's victory together. Then why was he pushing Tenma away? Why was he calling him midget again? As he was getting up from the floor, the younger boy chanced a look in the direction of the other, who was staring at him with a hatred he had never seen before, not even before they started talking more.</p>
<p>It felt like being kicked in the face, there was no other way Tenma could describe that sensation. That was the reason why he didn't even care to stop the tears that were threatening to start falling. When he managed to get up and run away as fast as he could, he was sobbing loudly. That was supposed to be one of the best days of his life, and instead, he was crying like an idiot. Why were Tsukishima's words bothering him so much? Why did being called midget hurt so much more than usual?</p>
<p>The truth was that he had been expecting something entirely different. Tsukishima had grown on him a lot, during the past few weeks. And Tenma had really thought that it was mutual, but apparently, he'd been wrong. Finding it out, however, was more painful than he would have ever imagined.</p><hr/>
<p>Tsukishima didn't get back from the arena with everyone else. Tenma was quiet on the drive back to school, curled up on a seat in the back by himself and looking as if he had just lost an important match; definitely not the way someone who was going to nationals was supposed to look. That night he didn't sleep, tossing and turning in his bed. He couldn't stop thinking about the pain on Tsukishima's face, and how much the other's words had been able to hurt him. He wanted to understand what had happened. If he had done something wrong, something that meant they couldn't be friends anymore, he needed to know, so that he could apologize.</p>
<p>The following day, tired but determined, Tenma went looking for the older boy the moment he got to school. He finally found him at lunch, eating with some other people he didn't know, who were probably his classmates. Uncertain, he approached the group of third-years, biting nervously at his bottom lip.</p>
<p>"Tsukishima-san? Can we... talk?" he tried to ask, hoping to finally be able to clarify whatever was wrong between them. At first, he thought that the other boy was going to ignore him, but after a few seconds in which the other third-years were studying him with interest, Tsukishima nodded and stood up. In silence, he started walking, using a movement of his head to signal Tenma to follow him. They walked side by side towards a secluded area near the gym, where usually nobody went during lunch break. When they got there, Tsukishima rested his back against a wall and stared at the sky, hands in the pockets of his school uniform pants.</p>
<p>For a few seconds, Tenma thought that the other was going to speak first. When he realized that it wasn't so, however, he decided to ask what was bothering him the most. "Why did you treat me like crap, yesterday?" He didn't want his voice to sound too sad, but he couldn't do anything to hide what he was feeling completely.</p>
<p>"Because you weren't getting the hint that I didn't want you around" Tsukishima replied. He still wasn't looking at Tenma, but at least he didn't sound mad.</p>
<p>"But why? I thought we were friends. Sort of, at least" Tenma kept asking, without realizing that he was sounding a little desperate.</p>
<p>"Well, I don't want to be your friend anymore" Tsukishima stated, before pushing off the wall and walking away. Tenma remained exactly where he was, frozen on the spot, unable to believe what was going on. At that point, he seriously had no idea of what he was supposed to do.</p>
<p>That afternoon, Tsukishima didn't show up at practice. When Tenma asked one of the third-years why, the boy replied that he didn't seem like he was feeling entirely well. He also said that Tsukishima had made a comment about wanting to leave the volleyball club, and something about his brother. Tenma didn't even know that his teammate had a brother. Did it mean that it wasn't his fault, after all, if Tsukishima was suddenly acting like a complete jerk? It didn't stop Tenma from being worried anyway.</p><hr/>
<p>Tsukishima didn't leave the club, after all, but he always looked like a zombie at practice. He didn't put in any effort at all, never looking actually interested in what they were doing. Which was crazy, because they were preparing <i>for nationals</i>. That was going to be the year they were going to finally face Nekoma in a real match and win. Everyone needed to be excited about it!</p>
<p>In addition to not actually caring for club activities anymore, Tsukishima was also doing his best to avoid Tenma completely. They never spoke again after that day. Even though Tenma hated it, he also wanted to respect his senpai's decision not to be friends anymore. It hurt, though. Every time he looked in Tsukishima's direction and the other avoided his gaze, it was like receiving a punch in his guts. He was probably taking it too badly, because they had actually never been so close in order to justify his own reaction. But the truth was that he felt an unfamiliar longing when looking at his teammate.</p>
<p>Sometimes, when he was alone, Tenma just let himself feel bad and cried while hugging a volleyball. But he also knew that he couldn't allow those thoughts to distract him from what was supposed to be his real goal. It was almost time for nationals, meaning that he needed to do his best at practice. He now had the opportunity to show the entire nation what he was capable of, and he had no intention of wasting it. Therefore, there was no time for moping because of Tsukishima, he had bigger fish to fry. He had the spring tournament to win.</p>
<p>Keeping that goal at the front of his mind gave him the push he needed to really immerse himself in practice, day in and day out. He even managed to stop thinking about Tsukishima, most of the time. To the point that, when they all got on a bus to Tokyo, he was feeling calm and confident again. Ukai-sensei wanted them to get a feel of where they were going to play, and to have a practice match against Nekoma as well, so they left a few days earlier.</p>
<p>Practice with Nekoma went smoothly, even though they lost once again. They even managed to play a practice match against Nekoma's friendly rival team Fukurodani, which was the first Tokyo representative at nationals, while Nekoma was the second. From what Tenma was able to understand, Fukurodani was Tokyo's version of Shiratorizawa. Nekoma was definitely lucky that they could both qualify, because Tenma wouldn't wish on anyone what Karasuno had to endure to qualify! They ended up losing against Fukurodani as well, by the way, even though not by much.</p>
<p>When the real matches started, Tenma was completely fired up. Karasuno didn't have a huge cheer team, but their fans were definitely making themselves heard. He could hear the Karasuno chants over the rest of the crowd in that huge arena, where four matches were going on at the same time. As the ace of the team, he was also so concentrated on the match he was playing that not even once he tried to look towards their cheering section. Which was good, because thinking about Tsukishima while playing at nationals was definitely the last thing he needed.</p>
<p>The first round wasn't what could be considered easy, but it wasn't very difficult either. The team they played was weaker than both Shiratorizawa and Nekoma, so Karasuno was able to win. At the same time, however, everyone on the court was tense. Tenma took a few deep breaths to calm himself before starting the approach for each spike. In the end, everything went fine and they advanced to the second round. They even managed to watch almost all of Nekoma's first round match, cheering for their rivals. After all, their teams were in different blocks, meaning that they needed to get to the finals if they wanted to finally play each other at nationals.</p>
<p>The second round was more difficult than the first one. They struggled more, bringing the third set almost to the 30s, but they still managed to snatch a victory. As he stepped off the court, Tenma was so relieved that all he could think about was to go back to the inn where they were staying, take a bath and go to sleep. He was completely devoid of energy, and he needed to recover quickly if he wanted to play well the following day.</p>
<p>On the third day of the tournament, the moment he got to the arena, Tenma immediately noticed that everyone was nervous. It wasn't just his team, it was every team. He soon learned that the third day was considered <i>hell day</i>, because it was the only day of the entire tournament where teams were supposed to play two matches. It meant that, after winning the third round, they were going to play the quarterfinals already. It was going to be hell indeed, considering how much a single match could drain a person, but Tenma was also sure that Karasuno could take it. They were a strong team, they could certainly manage.</p>
<p>Things, unfortunately, didn't go as expected. Saving energies for the quarterfinals wasn't an option, because playing the third round match was demanding more from the players than what they could give on a normal day. Tenma refused to lose, though. He kept jumping and jumping, hitting spike after spike. And all of them, one after the other, kept hitting the blocks.</p>
<p>"Give it to me!" he screamed during the second set, raising an arm in order to better call for the set. The setter tossed the ball in his direction as he approached, but when he jumped there were two giants in front of him, arms outstretched over the net. He hit the ball anyway, aiming for the fingers of the giant more to his left, hoping to send the ball flying. The opposing blocker, however, changed the position of his fingers, so that he soft blocked the spike instead.</p>
<p>"One touch!" the blocker yelled, and Tenma was already cursing under his breath as he landed with his feet back on the ground. Once again, Karasuno's opponents were able to dig the ball easily and set it for one of the spikers. It went to the same guy who had managed to block, meaning that Tenma had to jump to stop him. The other player, however, was both tall and muscular. Tenma's arm reddened when getting in contact with the spiked ball, that a moment later hit the floor too quickly for the libero to even get there. Tenma fell on his ass because of the impact with his arm.</p>
<p>"Damn it!" he almost yelled as he punched the floor. He turned around to look at the score. They were down five points, 16 to 21. They had already lost the first set, meaning that they needed to take that one if they wanted to have a chance of surviving the third round at all. But it was difficult.</p>
<p>"It's okay, Udai. We'll get the next one" one of his teammates tried to reassure him as he was getting back up. Tenma, however, gave him a killing glare. Many times he had been told that he could get too intense during matches, and that was definitely one of those moments. Especially because there was a part of him that still viewed that kind of encouragement almost as pity, what people said to the short kid who always got blocked by taller guys.</p>
<p>Needless to say, things didn't get any better. Tenma, however, refused to give up until the end, and the rest of the team with him. He strained himself to the point of almost throwing up, but he never stopped. Not even when he couldn't feel his legs anymore and every single muscle in his body burned like hellfire. Because avoiding destroying his body wasn't important, winning the match was all that mattered.</p>
<p>At the opponents' match point, Tenma was in the back line. The libero received a strong jump serve, the ball arriving safely in the setter's hands. It was a perfectly clean receive, the ideal to set for Tenma's back attack. So the ball came to him, and he tried to angle his spike so that he could aim at a spot where there were no blockers. But another opponent jumped when he was less expecting it, touching the ball and making it easier for another player to receive it. Tenma barely had the time to take a few steps back, when a spike went past Karasuno's block and straight at him. He positioned himself to dig it, but it was so strong that the hit broke his platform, sending the ball flying in the wrong direction. The setter ran towards the ball, but from that position he couldn't toss properly, he had to do an underhand set. It was also imprecise, meaning that it didn't get well enough to Kawada. The third-year, however, jumped to spike it anyway, but he got blocked.</p>
<p>The ball hit the ground on Karasuno's side, and just a moment later came the whistle that signaled the end of the match. They had <i>lost</i>. Tenma couldn't believe it. After all the efforts, all the sacrifices from everyone on the team, they had been defeated in straight sets in the third round. Everyone around him was slowly getting to the realization that their journey was over, that they were <i>done</i>. Some of them were crying, others were encouraging their teammates. First and second-years were telling each other that the following year they were going to win nationals for sure, while third-years were drowning in their sorrow. As for Tenma, he was still standing in the middle of the court, staring at the spot where the ball had hit the floor, incredulous.</p>
<p>And then came the rage. After having a few moments to really understand the meaning of that defeat, he growled and stomped his feet, pulling his hair. He wasn't mad at his team, he wasn't even mad at their opponents. Tenma was mad at himself. A few teammates approached him, tried to make him feel better by patting his back, but it didn't work. How could it? He let the others guide him out of the court though, and with Ukai-sensei walking in front of them they made their way to the nearest hallway. Even the coach tried to comfort them, telling them that he was proud of the entire team, but Tenma was sure that the old man was lying. How could it be otherwise? They had failed, after all. <i>He</i> had failed, after all the energy Ukai-sensei had spent to make him a better player.</p>
<p>Most of the team grabbed a bite to eat before going to watch Nekoma play in the quarterfinals, but not Tenma. He couldn't even consider the idea of eating, not when he was feeling like his entire body was on fire. He sat on the bleachers with the rest of the team, but he didn't watch the match. He acknowledged the presence of people on a court in his field of vision, but nothing more than that. He only realized that the match had ended when all his teammates stood up to leave; he only found out that Nekoma had lost as well because it was all the others were talking about. On a normal day, he would have felt sorry for Nekoma, but at the same time, he would have felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that Karasuno's rivals were out of the tournament as well. At that moment, however, he felt nothing.</p>
<p>Everyone was quiet when they got back to the inn, that evening. Tenma didn't put his heart in anything he did, he just went through the motions. He barely ate at dinner, still feeling sick from the exertion of that morning. After dinner, some of the boys went to bed early, while others decided that moping together was more effective than moping alone. But he couldn't stand being among them, and he certainly didn't want to sleep. So Tenma went outside.</p>
<p>The January air was cold, but the boy closed the zipper of his winter jacket and watched as a little cloud of condensed heat came out of his mouth when he blew out a breath. Now that he was alone, away from everyone else, he could really let his mind wander towards some thoughts he had preferred not to dwell on while he was around his teammates. He thought back to his performance on the court, of how disappointing it had been. If only he had been taller, stronger.</p>
<p>Ukai-sensei had done a lot to convince him that one didn't need to be tall in order to dominate in mid-air. What a bunch of lies! The little giant was just an illusion. He was no ace. He was just a joke, nothing else. Some oblivious short guy who couldn't see the reality of facts. Such a disappointment.</p>
<p>With rage, Tenma clenched his right hand into a fist and slammed it against the wall of the inn. It didn't do any good, actually, it hurt even, but for some reason he couldn't stop. As tears of rage were streaming down his face, he kept hitting the wall over and over again. After a few punches, he even stopped feeling anything at all in his hand; probably the freezing cold temperature was working as an anesthetic. So he kept going, until he was stopped.</p>
<p>"Stop it, idiot, you're bleeding!" a voice barely managed to get past his ears and actually reach his brain, but it was muffled. Two hands, however, grabbed his own and held it, as someone stepped between him and the wall. Even though the tears were blurring his vision, Tenma still couldn't be mistaken. The person standing in front of him was Tsukishima.</p>
<p>The presence of the older boy gave him contrasting emotions. Part of him felt even madder, because Tsukishima had cast him aside as if he was nothing, so now he didn't have any right to intervene. The other part of him, however, wanted Tsukishima to keep holding his hand forever, because he had definitely missed the other boy, way more than he was probably ready to admit. That thought, however, made him feel ashamed of himself, for needing someone so much when that person had made it clear that he didn't matter. Uncertain of how to react, Tenma didn't say a word, but he tried to pull his hand free. Tsukishima, however, was way bigger than him, plus he was using both hands, so he didn't budge.</p>
<p>"Let go!" Tenma tried to sound threatening, but with his face wet of half-frozen tears and his knuckles red with blood he had to admit that he didn't look very menacing.</p>
<p>"Why, so you can hurt yourself more? Ukai-sensei will have your head if you injure the hand you use to spike!" Tsukishima scolded him. Tenma could hear worry in his voice though, and he didn't know what to make of that. Feeling more confused than ever, he pulled with all of his strength and freed his hand.</p>
<p>"And what do you care? It's not like we're friends or anything, right?" Tenma spat out, throwing Tsukishima's words back at him. His teammate was the one who had said that he didn't want to be friends, so now he could kindly piss off and leave him alone.</p>
<p>"That's not fair" the older boy stated, sounding as if Tenma was being the unreasonable one. Which was almost funny, coming from him.</p>
<p>"No, it's not. It's not fair <i>to me</i>!" Tenma blurted out in an instant, his voice raising. "I'm having a breakdown here, and I'd like to be alone for it, so go away!"</p>
<p>He wasn't exactly sure if he really wanted Tsukishima to go. A part of him wanted to get back at the other for chasing him away after Karasuno's victory at the prefectural finals. Another part of him, however, wanted to keep Tsukishima there because he didn't really want to be alone.</p>
<p>"I know, I've been an ass to you. I acted as if you had done something wrong, while I was actually mad at myself" Tsukishima's voice was calm, and Tenma wasn't sure if he wanted to calm down himself or just punch him.</p>
<p>"Mad at yourself? Why?" Tenma asked, finally calming down a little.</p>
<p>"I have a little brother who worships me. I wanted to be a hero in his eyes forever, so I lied to him. I told him that I was the ace of the team, that he couldn't come to see me play because he would have made me nervous. But the day of the finals he came anyway and he saw what I was actually doing. Well, I should have said that he <i>used to</i> worship me. Now he hates me because I'm a pathetic failure of a human being" Tsukishima said with a sigh, as he moved to rest his back against the wall. His eyes were pointing at the ground.</p>
<p>Tenma felt sorry for him. He was an only child, so he couldn't really get what it meant to want to be a little sibling's hero. But he still understood what Tsukishima might have felt in disappointing someone, because he was feeling the same. He had disappointed Ukai-sensei, with that horrible performance in the match that morning.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry about your brother. If you want, we can be failures together" Tenma said, his voice almost sarcastic. After that, he went to rest his back against the wall as well. There weren't more than a couple of inches separating their arms at that point.</p>
<p>"And why would you be a failure? You really are the ace of the team. You're already great, and you still have another year to do even better" Tsukishima's voice sounded utterly defeated. But the older boy wasn't the only one who was broken.</p>
<p>"No, I'm not. I've been fooling myself thinking that I really am ace material, taking pride when people called me the little giant, but only one of those things is true: I'm <i>little</i>, and because of that today I lost the match for Karasuno" Tenma confessed his sorrows. Since they were competing for the grand prize of Karasuno volleyball club's most pathetic member, he felt entitled to give the speech that was going to win him first place.</p>
<p>He was surprised when he felt strong hands wrap around his arms and pull him away from the wall. "You can't be serious!" Tsukishima said with urgency, staring at Tenma as if he had grown a second head. In return, the younger boy only lowered his head and chewed his bottom lip. He couldn't bear to look at Tsukishima's face, not now, because a glimpse of the fire in the other's eyes was more than enough to give him thoughts he wasn't supposed to have.</p>
<p>"Hey, look at me" he heard, before a hand left his arm only to be placed under his chin. He was gently brought to look up, until his eyes locked with Tsukishima's. His heart skipped a beat, maybe two, before speeding up like crazy. Even though the temperature was freezing, he still felt his face heat up, probably blushing.</p>
<p>"You didn't lose the match for Karasuno. Actually, without you we would have never even gotten to play it in the first place" Tsukishima said, his voice almost sweet. Tenma's heart almost jumped out of his chest, because the other's words didn't matter much; all that mattered were the fingers still resting against his chin. An insane desire to kiss Tsukishima reached the front of his mind, and it wasn't easy to keep at bay.</p>
<p>"But today I sucked. I couldn't score, I couldn't block, I couldn't receive. I ruined everything" Tenma complained, trying to concentrate more on his own self-pity than the sensation of Tsukishima's touch against his skin. It didn't last for long, though, because the older boy moved both hands so that they were cupping Tenma's cheeks, angling his head so that they were really eye to eye. Tenma's face was so on fire, at that moment, that he was surprised he wasn't burning Tsukishima's hands.</p>
<p>"You didn't suck. You were amazing, the opponents were just better. But there was nothing in that game that went wrong because of you" Tsukishima stated, and just like that Tenma's brain decided it was time to shut down. He clearly couldn't think anymore, because the only thing on his mind was to close the distance between them and kiss the other boy. And so he did.</p>
<p>Rising on his tiptoes, Tenma closed the distance between them. He watched as Tsukishima's eyes shot wide open as he was getting closer, but even that stopped being important when he finally pressed his lips against the other boy's. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, feeling something heavy lift from his chest. Just doing that crazy thing, kissing Tsukishima just once, he was feeling quite better already. He was ready for the other to recover from the shock and push him away.</p>
<p>He was surprised, however, when Tsukishima didn't shove him off. On the contrary, his hands moved from Tenma's face to the back of his head, entangling in his hair and keeping him in place. Tenma opened one eye to chance a look at the other, noticing that he had his eyes closed as well. And, most importantly, Tsukishima was kissing him back.</p>
<p>In a moment of excitement, Tenma threw his arms around Tsukishima's neck and pressed even closer. It was his first kiss, so he wasn't sure what he was supposed to expect from it. He had heard that the first kiss was always special, and he had to agree with that. He had never felt like that before, his entire body tingling with excitement. He was also feeling ready to run a marathon, something he would have never thought possible after the exertion of the day. He had been gloomy, sad, even mad. Now he was feeling more alive than ever before.</p>
<p>When they were forced to part because they'd been panting into the kiss, wanting for air, they were both smiling widely. "I've wanted to do that for a while" Tsukishima confessed. Those words emboldened Tenma, to the point that he could speak up as well.</p>
<p>"Me too" he reciprocated the confession. As he saw Tsukishima's gaze soften, he felt even bolder. That was the reason why he kissed the other boy again.</p>
<p>They kept kissing and kissing. Their hands and faces were frozen, but Tenma was still feeling a fire burning from inside of him and making him not care about the temperature at all. After all, how could he even begin to care about anything other than Tsukishima's lips and tongue?</p>
<p>That day, Tenma had lost a very important match. But at the same time, he had won something more important, and that was all that mattered.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you want to talk about Haikyuu, you can find me on <a href="https://twitter.com/SuperEllen4">Twitter</a>! I mostly post Bokuroo stuff, but I'm open to almost all Haikyuu ships and characters. Especially the most underrated ones.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>